Calendar girl

MS. JANUARY – Centerville resident Irene Lupo holds the January-February pages in a special breast cancer awareness calendar created by a Rhode Island high school senior.

Centerville woman is proud to be a pinup

Irene Lupo is a calendar girl and she’s darned proud of it, too. The Centerville resident makes no apologies for becoming Ms. January and February, and she’d do it again if asked. After all, she’s not your average pinup. She’s a survivor appearing in a very special calendar about beating breast cancer.

So just how did Lupo become a part of the Beat Out Breast Cancer calendar? Well, the answer is relatively simple, but powerful, especially for her.

One of Lupo’s daughters and the daughter of good friend Sheila Russell (May-June) worked with the mother of a high school student who was in the midst of creating a breast cancer awareness calendar as a school project.

“He needed one more person, so Sheila asked if I’d do it,” Lupo said. “She joked that I’d have to go bare, but I didn’t care.”

The calendar creator is Christian Alejandre of Rhode Island, who was inspired to do the project after his great aunt Ann lost her fight against breast cancer. Then, another great aunt, Janis, was diagnosed with the illness.

“Beat Out Breast Cancer is a project that I have designed in an effort to instill hope and strength into those who have been affected by the disease, and to pay homage to those who may not be with us any longer because of it,” wrote Alejandre in the calendar cover letter.

Lupo readily agreed to be part of the project, which features six women in total, survivors and those fighting the disease. Lupo’s own cancer journey is poignant.

At the time she was diagnosed, her husband, Bud, was in the throes of ever-worsening Alzheimer’s disease, his memory failing a little bit more each day.

It was because of him that Lupo knew she had to fight. “Who would take care of my husband?” she asked.

She credits her ability to beat breast cancer to her own indomitable will and sunny outlook on life.

“Positive thinking and the will to fight this,” she said. “I wanted to be alive. I wanted to take care of my husband and to be with my family. I wanted to live and be happy.”

Lupo said a key factor in her fight was the support she received not only from family members, but also from the Barnstable Senior Center and its various programs, including the Adult Social Day Program, which offers caregivers a place to bring their loved ones while they attend appointments or simply take a break.

Ironically, Lupo was a past champion of the ASDP.

“Little did I know I would be using the program for my husband,” she said. “I can’t say enough about that program. It allowed me breathing time, resting time and a little bit of social time with friends.”

Her friends in the Hyannis Garden Club rallied around her by offering to drive whenever needed, something Lupo said was very touching.

Lupo also appreciates beyond measure the support of her daughters, Helen Higgins, Donna Robie and Linda Doucette, as well as close friend Chris Cummings, with whom she was able to enjoy a night’s getaway during her illness.

“Just that day I was away, just to have that day, that meant so much to me,” Lupo said. “It brought me such comfort.”

Her daughters, Lupo said, contributed in various but equally significant ways, including staying with Bud, calling regularly, and simply listening to her when she needed an ear.

She found it surprising, pleasantly so, that a young man was behind the calendar idea.

“The fact that Christian, being a young man, fought to do something like this, it’s amazing,” Lupo said. “It just highlights the strength of women.”

Lupo, like each of her fellow calendar girls, is featured in a series of photos, including one with her hand in a fist “beating out” cancer.

“I’m proud to be a breast cancer survivor,” she said. “I’m proud to represent other women who are breast cancer survivors. Everybody has a different story.”

To purchase a calendar contact Christian Alejandre at christian.3@live.com.

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